Who Really Makes Your Plasma Television Screen?

Very few Plasma TV manufacturers actually make their own plasma TV. Most use a system called rebadging. Basically they buy from a Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), claim to have a secret extra special feature then stick a new sticker on it and bill you thousands extra for the sticker. If you really want to pay thousands for a sticker please call our sales dept and we will sell you a sticker with our website logo for much less then the couple thousand you will pay Fujitsu or Runco

THE MAJOR PLASMA TELEVISION MANUFACTURERS

NEC - Nec is a OEM manufacturer and is now owned by Pioneer. Although owned by Pioneer they still operate under a separate label. NEC has commercial units and home units. They also supply screens to Marantz Runco and several other companies. NEC sold their plasma factory to Pioneer and now buys their panels from Pioneer and installs their own electronics.

Pioneer Plasma - Pioneer owns NEC and has switched production to the NEC lines. The new 50 inch and the 42 inch units are all NEC glass. To tell if a 50 inch is Pioneer or NEC, check the resolution, If 1280 it is Pioneer , If 1365 it is NEC . 42 inch Pioneer Plasma TV is NEC . 43 inch Plasma TV is Pioneer Glass

Fujitsu Plasma - Only makes their own 42 inch in partnership with Hitachi . 50 and 61 inch Fujitsu Plasmas are Panasonic and NEC but the 42 inch are their own. Note Hitachi plasma screens are identical to Fujitsu and cost thousands less, 55 Inch Fujitsu is same as Hitachi,

Hitachi - Owns 50% of plasma screen factory with Fujitsu. Makes own internal components. 42 Alis screens are Hitachi as is the New 55, 50 inch are Pioneer and 42 EDTV is a NEC screen

Philips - Uses Fujitsu/ Hitachi glass screen and most internal components as well. However, Philips makes its own bezel with built in speakers.

LG / Zenith - Make their own glass in Korea

Samsung - Makes its own components in Korea

THE SECONDARY MANUFACTURERS

RCA/ Thompson - Partners with NEC to OEM its product. Just a NEC with a new bezel.

JVC - 50 inch is Panasonic, 42 is NEC

Toshiba - OEM from Panasonic.

Sharp - OEM product through Pioneer for 50" and 42 though they may make some internal component changes.

Runco - OEM 50" from Pioneer and 42" from NEC,

Marantz - OEM plasma monitor from NEC. It is our understanding its just a sticker job

Studio Experience use a Samsung panel but custom electronics

Viewsonic - OEM 50" plasma screen from Pioneer ( old 502 ).

Sampo - 42v3 is old Fujitsu, 42v6 is Samsung Plasma,

Gateway Units are rebranded Sampo

Norcent Units may be rebranded Sampo

Maxent is Sampo, There seems to be a rumor spreading around that maxents are actually Panasonic panels. These seems extremely unlikely as Panasonic cannot keep up with there own requirement. We suspect that maxents are actually LG glass with their own electronics.